• U-M’s Big Ten win streak ended in their last time out (27 games dating back to 2021). That figure stands as a program record, with the previous mark set by Gary Moeller’s 1990-92 teams (19).
• The Wolverines also saw their road winning streak end at 11 games (began Nov. 13, 2021 at Penn State), tying a program record set nearly 90 years ago (Nov. 16, 1929 at Minnesota to Oct. 13, 1934 at Chicago).
• The Big Ten conference does not recognize the 2021, 2022, or 2023 title games as conference match-ups, so U-M finished at 24 straight wins by the league’s record book (third all-time).
• Thirteen (13) players have made their first career starts this fall: wide receiver Kendrick Bell, center Greg Crippen, center Dominick Giudice, tight end Marlin Klein, right tackle Evan Link, wide receivers Fredrick Moore and Peyton O’Leary, quarterback Alex Orji, quarterback Davis Warren on offense; defensive back Zeke Berry, edge TJ Guy, defensive back Jyaire Hill, and edge Derrick Moore on defense.
• Another seven players have made their first career starts as Wolverines after earning starting assignments at their previous institutions: C.J. Charleston (wide receiver), Josh Priebe (offensive line), Jaishawn Barham (linebacker), Aamir Hall (cornerback) Ernest Hausmann (linebacker), Josaiah Stewart (edge), and Dominic Zvada (kicker). Quarterback Jack Tuttle is expected to be added to this list against Illinois.
• Fifteen (15) Wolverines have made collegiate debuts this season: Chibi Anwunah (edge), Manuel Beigel (defensive line), Mason Curtis (defensive back), Jo’Ziah Edmond (defensive back), Jake Guarnera (offensive line), Hogan Hansen (tight end), Jason Hewlett (linebacker), Breeon Ishmail (edge), Ike Iwunnah (defensive line), Dominic Nichols (edge), Bryson Kuzdzal (running back), Evan Link (offensive line), Jordan Marshall (running back), Andrew Sprague (offensive line), and Cole Sullivan (linebacker).
• Pro Football Focus (PFF) grades U-M highly in the following categories: overall (23rd, 91.1), rushing offense (16th, 86.4), defense (fifth, 91.8), rushing defense (fourth, 92.3), tackling (19th, 76.3), and pass rush (first, 90.6).
• Entering the season, Kalel Mullings had a career-long run of 23 yards (at Minnesota, 2023). So far this season he has five runs of at least 30 yards: 30 (touchdown), 30, 38, 53 (touchdown), and 63 yards.
• Mullings has six rushing touchdowns this season (tied-fourth Big Ten). He is Pro Football Focus’ No. 6-graded rusher (90.6) on a minimum of 32 carries, averaging 4.32 yards after contact per attempt. He’s lost only eight yards on 91 attempts this year.
• Mullings is 22nd in the nation in yards per carry (6.47) and 23rd in rushing yards (589). Donovan Edwards is at 4.84 yards per carry, including 5.7 yards per carry over the last three games (37 carries, 211 yards). Edwards’ two longest runs have come in that span (39, 41 yards) along with two of his three touchdowns.
• Edwards is also just 51 yards shy of setting the career receiving yards record by a running back at Michigan, currently held by Anthony Thomas (810 yards).
• Tight end Colston Loveland has been the leader or co-leader in receptions for U-M in every game he has played this season (five), with 29 total catches.
• Loveland remains highly efficient, averaging 2.69 yards per route run according to PFF. That figure is fifth in the country among FBS tight ends (minimum 20 targets) and first among Big Ten tight ends.
• Loveland’s 90 career receptions rank fourth all-time among U-M tight ends. With nine more catches, he’ll pass Jerame Tuman (98) third-most all-time. Loveland’s 1,145 career receiving yards are fifth all-time among tight ends at U-M (next: Lowell Perry, 1,261) and his eight touchdowns are tied-seventh.
• Opponents have struggled to run the ball effectively against the Wolverines (76.3 yards per game). Texas and Washington are the only teams to reach 100-plus yards on the ground (143, 114) and teams are averaging 2.9 yards per carry overall on the Maize and Blue’s third-ranked rushing defense.
• USC’s Woody Marks reached exactly 100 rushing yards on 13 carries against U-M. He was the first back to reach 100-plus rushing yards on U-M since Emari Demercado (150 yards on 17 carries) of TCU (Dec. 31, 2022), and U-M has not allowed another 100-yard rusher since.
• Zeke Berry (one interception, one fumble forced/recovered) is tied with Will Johnson (two interceptions) for the team lead in turnovers. Six different players are responsible for U-M’s eight total turnovers (two fumble recoveries, six interceptions).
• Fifteen (15) different players have broken up passes for the defense this year including six different defensive linemen/edge rushers. Jyaire Hill leads the team with six (including one interception) and Kenneth Grant has four.
• Grant has been active in this area throughout his career; he had six breakups in 2023, giving him 10 for his career, the highest total among any U-M defensive linemen in history. Across 2023 and 2024 combined, the defensive line has been responsible for more than a quarter (27.4 percent) of the team’s total pass breakups (10-of-33 in 2024; 18-of-69 in 2023).
• Ernest Hausmann leads the U-M defense with 40 tackles, 10 clear of the next-highest total. Hausmann set a Michigan career-high with 12 tackles at Washington, matching his best career total at Nebraska, and registered nine solos against Minnesota, also a Michigan-best.
• TJ Guy recorded his first career multi-sack game at Washington (1.5) in his second start. Mason Graham (2.5 in last two games) and Rayshaun Benny (1.5 this year, new career-high) have also been active in the backfield.
• The Wolverines rank 19th nationally in sacks (2.83 per game), led by Josaiah Stewart‘s 5.0. Stewart is the Big Ten’s co-leader in only five games played; Graham ranks tied-11th (3.5).
• Stewart has two multi-sack games this season (Fresno State, USC, 2.0 each) and is PFF’s No. 1-graded pass rusher at any position at 94.0. His win rate of 31.3 percent is best in the nation (minimum 50 pass rush snaps). TJ Guy (22.4, ninth) and Derrick Moore (83.4, tied-11th) are also among the nation’s best in pass rush win rate.
• U-M leads the Big Ten in sacks (13) and ranks second in tackles for loss (23) in conference play, with at least four sacks in all three league games so far.
• Tommy Doman is the sixth-graded punter in the nation by PFF (79.9). The 14 fair catches he’s forced are one off the Big Ten lead and tied-seventh nationally.
• Doman is also a weapon on kickoffs, with 20 touchbacks on 30 kickoffs (66.7 percent). U-M is 22nd in the nation in kick return defense (15.75 yards per return, on average).
• Doman, whose pro-style approach meshes hangtime with distance to give U-M effective coverage units, ranks 10th in the country and second in the Big Ten in average hangtime (4.27 seconds) among punters with 12-plus attempts.
• Dominic Zvada is a perfect eight-for-eight this year. Zvada is tied for the U-M career record with four made field goals at 50-plus yards and is the first U-M kicker with four field goals of 50-plus yards in the same season.
• Zvada and SMU’s Collin Rodgers are the only kickers with four conversions at 50-plus yards, but Rodgers (who has five such conversions) has needed eight attempts to reach that mark, compared to Zvada’s four.
